Barry Blaustein’s honest, intimate, revealing, highly entertaining, and critically acclaimed behind-the-scenes look at wrestling, takes viewers beyond the ring and into the lives of the men and women who inhabit this colorful, competitive, and surprisingly complex world.

In this cult-favorite documentary, Mark Borchardt, an aspiring filmmaker from a working-class Wisconsin background, is set on finishing his low-budget horror movie, despite a barrage of difficulties. Plagued by lack of cash, unreliable help and numerous personal problems, Mark wants to complete the film to raise funds for a more ambitious drama. With the assistance of his bumbling but loyal friend Mike Schank, Mark struggles to move forward, making for plenty of bittersweet moments.

Filmmaker Nick Broomfield follows the saga of Aileen Wuornos, a prostitute who has been accused of committing a brutal series of murders. Broomfield conducts interviews with Wuornos herself, and his crew films her trial as well as her interactions with religious fanatic Arlene Pralle, who gives Wuornos dubious advice and legally adopts her. The cameras also roll as the accused’s attorney ignores the case at hand to negotiate a deal to sell his client’s story.

Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Valerie Perrine, Jan Miner

Controversial comedian Lenny Bruce (Dustin Hoffman) begins his career telling bad jokes to bored audiences in the 1950s, but can’t repress his desire to unleash edgier material. When he does, he begins a one-man campaign to break down social hypocrisy, and his groundbreaking stage act propels him to cult-hero status. When authorities ban Lenny’s act for obscenity, he begins a downward spiral of drugs, sex and debt, aided by his bombshell wife, a stripper named Honey (Valerie Perrine).

Starring: Diahann Carroll, James Earl Jones, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Tamu Blackwell

Claudine (Diahann Carroll) is a single mother in New York City who endures an exhausting commute to the suburbs where she works as a maid for wealthy families. In one carefully tended white community, she meets Roop (James Earl Jones), a charismatic but irresponsible garbage collector. Romance quickly ensues, but Claudine doubts that their relationship is good for her six children, and Rupert, despite his good nature, is reluctant to take on fatherhood.

Comedian Kevin Maher returns to Nitehawk Prospect Park – with a special Saturday matinee about made-for-TV horror. He’s joined by comedian Ken Reid (host of the podcast TV Guidance Counselor) in a video variety show that celebrates creepy visions from The X-Files and Doctor Who, to surprisingly traumatic episodes of Punky Brewster and Salute Your Shorts; plus: disturbing PSAs, made-for-TV movies, and other obscure treats from TeeVee. Guaranteed to give goosebumps to monster kids of all ages.*

See why SyFy.com called Kevin “an insane genius” in the variety show Daily Grindhouse described as “TED Talks for Midnight Movies.”

Join us for 90 minutes of spooky mayhem, with special guests:
• Ritch Duncan (comedian, writer, Billy on the Street, PBS Kids)
• Lecy Goranson (actor-writer, Roseanne, The Conners)
• Rivkah Reyes (actor-filmmaker-musician)
• Adam Spielberg (film and TV producer)
• Jenny Zigrino (comedian, After Midnight, Comedy Central)

Don’t miss Kevin’s custom 30-minute pre-show video that plays as soon as the house opens, featuring a mix-tape of creepy classics and macabre video oddities.

*Venue is not responsible for guarantee, it’s just a figure of speech.

Starring: Brian Cox, Miranda Otto, Lorraine Ashbourne, Shaun Dooley

Set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim tells the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan. A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg–a mighty fortress that will later come to be known as Helm’s Deep. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Héra, the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their total destruction.

Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini

Conclave follows one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events — selecting the new Pope. Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is tasked with running this covert process after the unexpected death of the beloved Pope. Once the Catholic Church’s most powerful leaders have gathered from around the world and are locked together in the Vatican halls, Lawrence uncovers a trail of deep secrets left in the dead Pope’s wake, secrets which could shake the foundations of the Church.

Starring: Rainbow Harvest, Karen Black

Come celebrate the FOFIF’s favorite season with a screening of Marina Sargenti’s MIRROR MIRROR! To make an additional $10 donation to The Future of Film is Female, select the “Event + Donation” ticket on the checkout screen.

Before THE CRAFT, there was MIRROR MIRROR. Co-written by sisters Annette and Gina Cascone and directed by Marina Sargenti, the film follows high school goth Megan (Rainbow Harvest, a dead ringer for Winona Ryder’s Lydia Deetz character in BEETLEJUICE) as she deals with typical teenage stuff: crushes, bullies, and a haunted mirror that grants her supernatural powers. MIRROR MIRROR combines YA vibes straight out of a Christopher Pike novel with plenty of R-rated thrills. But the film’s most notable—and enjoyable—aspect is its nuanced portrayal of relationships between women, which was rare for the horror genre in 1990. –AGFA

Screening before MIRROR MIRROR:
MICRO-SHORT, written and directed by Beth Fletcher (6 min)
A woman hypnotized by her microwave finds out how far she’ll go to satiate its hunger.

Starring: Allen Garfield, Kathleen Lloyd, Leif Garrett, Tony Alva, Ellen O’Neal, Richard Van der Wyk

Skateboard was the first feature film to depict the height of the 70s skateboard craze. Many refer to it as the Bad News Bears of the sport. It’s star studded cast includes Alan Garfield, 70s teen idol Leif Garrett, skateboarding legend Tony Alva, and iconic female freestyler and member of the Skateboarding Hall of Fame Ellen O’Neal.